Illinois star Williams takes over game in the second half

But that's the beauty of Williams. So maddeningly indifferent at times, he can just as easily turn it on with a dazzling display of skills that leaves opponents on the floor gasping for breath.

He did it in the second half Sunday, scoring all 20 of his points to carry fourth-seeded Illinois to a 72-60 victory over Creighton in the Midwest Regional.

"I know the first half I didn't play that well, and coach kind of jumped me in the locker room," Williams said.

"But my teammates kept telling me, 'Pick it up, you know what to do out there. You're the best player on the floor."'

That he is. Williams went 7-of-10 from the floor in the second half, and also had five assists and five rebounds. He also helped clamp down on Creighton's leading scorer Kyle Korver, who was held to just six shots.

"When he wants to play, he's as good a guard as there is in the country," Creighton coach Dana Altman said. "That second half, Frank decided he was going to take the game over, and he did."

Brian Cook added 16 points and Cory Bradford had 12 - all on three-pointers - for the Illini, who took full advantage of their "home game."

Illinois is 16-6 at the United Center since it opened in 1994, and it's easy to see why. The arena was awash in orange and blue, and the fans were so loud it seemed more Assembly Hall than Chicago.

The road gets tougher from here for Illinois, though. The Illini (26-8) will play top-seeded Kansas on Friday in the Midwest Regional semifinals in Madison, Wis.